Since 1990, more than 24 Bartonella species have been identified at least half of these have been implicated or confirmed as animal or human pathogens.īeginning in the early 1990s, Bartonella organisms have been a focus of considerable scientific research and medical inquiry. These two diseases were known to infect people but were not yet recognized as a disease in pets, domestic animals, or humans in North America. bacilliformis (the agent of Oroya fever in Peru and other South American countries). quintana (the agent of trench fever in World War I) and B. Where did human bartonellosis originate?īefore 1990, there were only two known pathogenic or disease-causing Bartonella species, B. However, at this time, we do not fully understand why some people contract a more serious form of bartonellosis. These more serious forms of the disease are often associated with an underlying immunodeficiency, for example, with HIV/AIDS infection or chemotherapy. ![]() In these cases, a more severe disease can develop, with any combination of the following signs: arthritis, enlarged liver and spleen, high fever, nervousness, pneumonia, and weight loss. henselae and several other Bartonella species can occasionally cause chronic, asymptomatic, or intermittently symptomatic illness. Physicians have traditionally been taught that CSD is a mild, self-limiting infection (one that typically goes away on its own, without the need for medication or other intervention). Most symptoms last for a few days, but the enlarged lymph nodes may persist for weeks or months. The typical signs are mild fever, chills, and lethargy (fatigue) accompanied by enlarged lymph nodes and lesions on the skin or conjunctiva (the membrane that covers the white of the eye and inside of the eyelid). What are the signs of cat scratch disease? Those feces can infect humans through scratches or other abrasions in the skin, as well as through the eye. The flea ingests blood containing Bartonella from an infected cat, the bacteria replicates in the flea and is shed in the feces. Transmission of the bacteria actually occurs through cat fleas and possibly other biting flies or ticks. The disease got its name as it often is associated with a cat scratch. CSD can affect humans, dogs, cats, and other animals. There are at least 8 species of Bartonella implicated in causing human disease, while Bartonella henselae is the most common species found in cats. ![]() What is cat scratch disease, and what causes it?Ĭat scratch disease (CSD), also known as cat scratch fever or bartonellosis, is caused by a bacterial infection.
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